Britain is on the brink of a massive expansion in foods containing controversial 'grey goo' nanoparticles, according to the former head of the Food Standards Agency. Low-calorie chocolate and beer that doesn't go flat could be on sale within just five years, Lord Krebs said last night.

However, he and other peers believe there will be no requirement for the hi-tech products to be labelled as containing nanoparticles - microscopic compounds that can worm their way into the brain, liver and kidneys with unknown consequences.

But critics said the public have the right to know what they are putting into their bodies, and point out that new legislation will mean that cosmetics that contain nanoparticles will have to be clearly labelled. Once derided by Prince Charles as 'grey goo', nanoparticles are tiny particles - 300 million would fit in a pinhead - with powerful properties that make them of interest to food companies.

Although they are small, they have a large surface area at which key chemical reactions can take place. This means that relatively low numbers of sugar nanoparticles can have the same effect as a large amount of normal sugar, creating tasty chocolate or cakes with a fraction of the calories. The same principle could be applied to fat, allowing the creation of low-fat icecreams and mayonnaise that taste like the real thing.
Nanotechnology-inspired packaging promises to improve food shelf-life, and in the U.S. plastic beer bottles have been lined with 'nanoclay' to stop the brew from going flat.

Lord Krebs chaired an inquiry by the House of Lords science and technology committee into the safety of nanotechnology in food, which found that although there is no evidence that the tiny particles are harmful, there are 'large gaps' on our knowledge.

I had no idea. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I can avoid most of this technology. I don't eat much packaged food aside from condiments.

It sounds like it won't be that hard to avoid. Even if it was in condiments, you can make your own mayo and ketchup pretty easily. My mom made her own way back when in the early days of Weight Watchers, when the plan didn't allow for any processed food.